Vashu Bhagnani’s trouble and his company Pooja Entertainment producers has deepened. A new accusations over the failure to pay several crew members including some. Director Ali Abbas Zafar has claimed that Bhagnani owes him a sum of Rs 7. 30 Crores for his services as the producer of the action film starring Akshay Kumar in 2024. Tiger Shroff also star in the film made on a staggering budget of Rs 350 crores yet managed to gross only Rs 100 crores in box office revenue.
Ali Abbas Zafar Files Complaint Against Pooja Entertainment
Devji reported in Dainik Bhaskar reports that Ali Abbas Zafar has formalized a complaint to the Director’s Association on the ground that Pooja Entertainment has refused to pay him for the film bade Miyan for which he was paid Rs 7.30 crores. This complaint was in compliance with the submission made to the Directors Association, which dispatched correspondence to FWICE on 31st July 2024 asking for assistance regarding the matter.
FWICE subsequently sent a letter to Vashu Bhagnani, seeking answers to why these dues have not been cleared. Zafar’s claims however have been dismissed by Pooja Entertainment, saying that , “The dues claimed do not constitute a legitimate claim and are liable to various set-offs, as informed to us by BMCM Films Ltd.”
FWICE Steps in, Zafar Asked to Provide Evidence
FWICE has now turned to Zafar Abbas Ali seeking for evidence to his unpaid dues claim. Even so, despite this increase in seriousness of the matter, Zafar has chosen the option of restraint in the public dimensions and has not made utterances to the media. The Tiger Zinda Hai director gets the impression from the on-going sensitivity of the matter that it would take even longer to reach a resolution and payment if he comes out and says his side of the story.
Pooja Entertainment Faces Financial Challenges
This is not the first time Vashu Bhagnani’s production house has been in a financial crisis. Earlier, FWICE president BN Tiwari had disclosed that Pooja Entertainment was in debt to the tune of over Rs 65 lakh to the crew for working on three films: Mission Raniganj, Ganapath and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The overdue payments to the crew members have compounded the crisis for the production house.
At present, there has been no response to Ali Abbas Zafar’s legitimate demands owing to money and Pooja Entertainment’s firm position in denying such a claim. With FWICE stepping in, it is a matter of time to see if Zafar will get the dues he is asking for.
